Government Paul Reynaud

The government Paul Reynaud (March 21st - June 16th, 1940) is the last but one government of IIIe République. Starting from the end of the month of May 1940, a conflict proceeds there between the partisans of the armistice with Germany and those which wish to continue the war. It is at the conclusion of its meeting in Bordeaux on June 16th that the first carry it and that Paul Reynaud presents his resignation to the president of the republic Albert Lebrun.

Composition

President of the council: Paul Reynaud (AD)

Vice-presidents of the council

Camille Chautemps (PRS)
Philippe Pétain, starting from May 18th

Ministers:

Minister for National defense and the war: Edouard Daladier (PRS) until May 18th, then Paul Reynaud.
Foreign Minister: Paul Reynaud until May 18th, then Edouard Daladier until June 5th, then again Paul Reynaud.
Minister of Interior Department: Henri Roy (PRS) until May 18th, then Georges Mandel.
Minister for the Armaments: Raoul Dautry
Minister for Finance: Lucien Lamoureux (PRS) until June 5th, then Yves Bouthillier
Minister for Labor: Charles Pomaret (USR)
Minister for Justice: Albert Sérol (SFIO)
Minister for the Navy: César Campinchi (PRS)
Minister for the Merchant navy: Alphonse Rio (USR)
Minister for the Air: Laurent Eynac (PRS)
Minister for State education: Albert Sarraut (PRS) until June 5th, then Yvon Delbos (PRS)
Minister for the War veterans and the pensions: Albert Rivière (SFIO)
Minister for Agriculture: Paul Thellier (AD)
Minister for the Supply: Henri Queuille (PRS)
Minister for the Colonies: Georges Mandel until May 18th, then Louis Rollin
public Minister for Labor: Anatole de Monzie (USR) until June 5th, then Ludovic-Oscar Frossard (USR)
Minister for the Public health: Marcel Héraud (AD) until June 5th, then Georges Pernot (FR) which takes the title of Minister for the French Family.
Minister for the Stations, Telegraph, Telephone and Transmissions: Alfred Jules-Julien (PRS)
Minister for Information: Frossard Ludovic-Oscar until June 5th, then Jean Prouvost
Minister Commercial and Industry: Louis Rollin (AD) until May 18th, then Leon Baréty (AD) until June 5th, then Albert Chichery (PRS)
Minister for the Blockade: Georges Monnet (SFIO)
Ministers of state (starting from May 10th): Marine Louis (FR) and Jean Ybarnegaray (PSF)

Under-secretary of State

Under-secretary of State to the presidency of the Council: Paul Baudoin (from March 30th to June 6th)
Under-secretary of State to the vice presidency of the Council: Robert Schuman (PDP)
Under-secretary of State to the War and National defense: Hippolyte Ducos (PRS) (from March 21st to May 10th) then Charles de Gaulle, starting from June 6th
Under-secretary of State inside: Louis Jacquinot (AD) (from March 21st to May 10th)
Under-secretary of State to the Nation's economy: Rene Hatchet (from March 21st to May 10th)
Under-secretary of State to Finances: Joseph Laniel (AD) (from March 21st to May 10th)
Under-secretary of State to Public works: Andre Février (SFIO) (from June 5th to 16th)
Under-secretary of State to the Foreign affairs: Auguste Champetier de Ribes (PDP) (from March 21st to May 10th) then Paul Baudoin (starting from June 6th)
Under-secretary of State to Public works: Fabien Albertin (SFIO) (from March 21st to May 10th)
Under-secretary of State to the Armament: François Blancho (SFIO) (from March 21st to May 10th)
Under-secretary of State to Manufacture of the Air: Jules Meny
Under-secretary of State to Information: Andre Février (from March 21st to June 5th)
Under-secretary of State to the Merchant navy: No5el Pinelli (from March 21st to May 10th)
Under-secretary of State to the Trade and Industry: Amaury of the Barn (from March 21st to May 10th)

Sit of the government

In front of the speed of the German invasion, the Reynaud government is the first since 1870 with having to move its seat out of Paris. June 10th, Paris is declared city open and is evacuated by the ministers. The government moves then in the area of Tours, where he hesitates between taking the direction of Brittany or that of south-west. Finally, it is towards Bordeaux that are transported the ministers again on June 14th.

The Council of Ministers of June 16th, 1940

In the afternoon of June 16th, Paul Reynaud joins together the government to submit the project to him of union of the nations French and British, conceived by Jean Monnet and that the government of Churchill has just accepted in London (where is then the de Gaulle general). But he is refused by a majority of the present, and in the place the proposal of Chautemps consisting in is accepted requiring of Germany its conditions for an armistice. The ministers are divided then into ten partisans of the continuation of the war (Reynaud, Mandel, Campinchi, Marin…), approximately seven firm partisans of the armistice (Pétain, Bouthillier, Prouvost, Ybarnegaray,…), and of undecided rather marked by the climate of collapse. However the question did not give place to a formal vote.

See too

Historical of the governments of France

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